WB president pushes jobs-first growth
World Bank Group President Ajay Banga, Mrs Banga and CM Murad Ali Shah pose for a photograph with flood-affected women displaying land titles for their newly-reconstructed houses in Bahwal Jat village. Photo: Express
Growing youth population will need jobs to ensure political, social as well as economic stability, concurred Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and World Bank Group President Ajay Singh in a meeting at CM House on Wednesday.
The WB Group has set its priority as jobs-first to ensure the utilization of the teeming human resource capital.
Shah and Singh held detailed discussion to align Sindh's development priorities with the World Bank's jobs-first global strategy and Pakistan's 10-year Country Partnership Framework (CPF 2026-2035).
He emphasised that the CPF is fully aligned with Sindh's long-term development roadmap.
The meeting was attended by provincial ministers, the chief secretary, the chairman P&D, PSCM and other concerned.
Jobs creation
The World Bank President underscored that the world is entering a major demographic shift. In Pakistan, where the population is expected to cross 300 million within five years, job creation was described as an imperative for economic and political stability.
Both sides agreed that private-sector-led job creation, supported by smart public investment, must anchor development policy. CM Murad Shah highlighted Sindh's focus on Small and New Enterprises (SNEs), particularly to create employment for youth and women.
Water, Sanitation & stunting reduction
CM Murad Ali Shah emphasized clean drinking water and maternal-child healthcare as central to tackling stunting in Sindh. He highlighted the launch of the $300m STARS-WASH rural programme, co-financed by ADB ($100m), building on post-flood housing success.
Urban water systems, including Karachi Water and TP-IV wastewater projects, were identified as priority areas. On health, Shah proposed scaling up Mamta and the 1000-Days Sindh Integrated Health Project across the province, noting Mamta's expansion to 22 districts and the hiring of 1,600 community health workers.
The World Bank welcomed Sindh's focus on early-life nutrition and discussed expanding child screening under the National Health Support Programme. Agriculture and SMEs were flagged as job-creating sectors, with AgriConnect and a proposed five-year Sindh SME Development and Job Creation Programme (S-SMED) aimed at boosting rural incomes, SME finance, and women's participation.
Both sides reviewed the Sindh Flood Housing Reconstruction Programme, which is rebuilding 2.1m homes, generating jobs, and granting land titles to over 100,000 women. Concluding, they reaffirmed a long-term strategy for inclusive, climate-resilient growth, with the World Bank pledging continued support in energy, skills, healthcare, agriculture, SMEs, and infrastructure.